Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. FALLON. Madam Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment to reduce the salary of Ms. Kelisa Wing to $1.

Until recently, Ms. Wing was with the Department of Defense Education Activity, better known as DoDEA. She was the chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer. As a self-proclaimed woke administrator, she used her authority to promote racist, divisive, and quite frankly, hateful ideology.

In a tweet from September 23, 2020, Ms. Wing said: ``I'm so exhausted at these White folx in these PD [professional development] sessions. This lady actually had the CAUdacity to say that Black people can be racist too . . . I had to stop the session and give Karen the business. . . . ''

If you replace the word ``White'' with any other race or minority group, we would have people from both sides of the aisle clamoring for her immediate removal.

Instead, she continued to serve unfettered for an unbelievable 3 additional years. Moreover, the mission of DoDEA is to provide a high- quality education to the children of servicemembers. This is a position of great trust.

Ms. Wing broke the trust of the American people, our servicemembers, and their children. We should be focused on providing these young minds with a world-class education, not indoctrinating them with divisive, radical, and again, hateful ideology.

Madam Chair, let me take a moment right now to speak directly to the children of DoDEA, and quite frankly, the children across this country, to remind them of a few things.

What you are isn't important. Who you are is everything. Pigmentation is immaterial. It is what is in your heart and what is on your mind that matters.

Further, to be American, it is not an ethnicity, it is an ideal. You want to live your dreams in this country? Work smart, work hard, stay focused, persevere, delay gratification, and constantly improve. In 2023 America, you might just get there, because the secret to your future is hidden in your daily routine. It is not, and nor does it have anything to do with what you are.

Thankfully, I believe Ms. Wing saw the writing on the wall and recently resigned from her position within DoDEA. It is my earnest hope that this amendment sends a message to the American people that racism will not be tolerated.

Madam Chair, I served in the military 30 years ago, and the idea was you would advance on merit and merit alone. It was a meritocracy. We didn't have any tolerance for any kind of isms. I wish we could get back to that and not be promoting Democratic generals or Republican generals, but rather American generals.

In the very building where we work and stand today, the Statue of Freedom, right underneath it are three words: E pluribus unum. Out of many one.

That is a focus that DoDEA should be promoting instead of this awful and, quite frankly, toxic poison.

Madam Chair, I withdraw my amendment, and I urge support for the underlying bill.

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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